Surgical needle.



PATENTED MAR. 3, 1903.

J. A. NELSON.

SURGICAL NEEDLE.

APPLIOATION FILED 0m. 27, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ALLEN NELSON, OF OVVENSBORO, KENTUCKY.

SURGICAL NEEDLE.

SEPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,133, dated March 3, 1903.

Application filed October 27, 1902. Serial No. 128,971. (No model- To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ALLEN NELSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Owensboro, in the county of Daviess and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Surgical Needles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anc use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in surgical needles; and the object in View is the provision of means for preventing the laceration of flesh by the thread during the operation of stitching for closing a wound. This object is obtained by the employment of a needle formed with a suitable eye and a longitudinal bore at the end, grooves being formed in the sides of the needle communicating between the eye and said bore, whereby a thread may be passed through the eye and along said bore in such manner as not to extend beyond the cylindrical walls of the needle.

The invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which disclose a needle enlarged by several diameters, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a needle threaded and embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 represents a view in side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal vertical central section through the same. Fig. l represents a top plan view of the said needle. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged detail fragmentary view of the upper end of the needle.

It is common in the art to provide a surgical needle with a longitudinal bore commencing at the eye end of the needle and passing longitudinally through the needle a short dis tance and openingat the side, such needle usually being threaded by passing the thread through said bore and tying a knot in the same, which is designed to lie within the opening in the side of the needle; but difficulty is usually experienced in forming a knot small enough not to protrude beyond the walls of the needle and at the same time large enough to prevent the escape of the thread from the needle. It is of course understood that when the needle is passed through the flesh it will not cause as much pain as if the flesh were spread or lacerated by the moving thread, so that any projection of the thread beyond the needle isseriously objectionable, and I obviate this objection by the provision of the structure disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which 1 indicates a suitable body of a needle formed with a transverse eye 2 and a longitudinal bore 3 in the end extending to a point relatively near to the eye 2, a bridge 4 separating the eye from said bore. The bridge 4 is grooved upon each side, as at 5, such grooves communicating between the eye 2 and the bore 3, so that the thread passed through the eye 2 may extend on either side of the bridge 4 and into the bore 3 without projecting beyond the walls of the needle. The bore 3 is formed with longitudinal openended slots 6 6, extending from the end of the needle to and communicating with the grooves 5, said slots dividing the walls of the needle at the end into two sections and the needle being formed of steel and capable of springing or giving slightly, and the sections are of course springs, and I prefer to taper the slots upwardly, so that the upper ends of said sections will be nearer together than at the point of the bridge.

In threading the needle the thread is passed through the eye 2 and the two portions of the thread are brought into parallel planes with the main body of the needle and lie within grooves 5. A slight pull in either direction will cause the sections of thread to pass through the slots 6 and enter and lie within the bore 3, said thread being retained therein owing to the tapered condition of the slots 6.

It will be obvious that by the provision of the elements described the thread will be retained by the needle Without the possibility of escape, and at the same time said thread will not extend beyond the walls of the needle, but will follow the same during the stitching operation.

Although this needle is designed for surgical purposes, it is of course within the scope of the invention to employ the same for any of the common purposes for which a needle may be used, and many slight alterations from the detailed structure of the needle may be employed within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A needle comprising a main body portion, formed with an eye and a longitudinal bore, a bridge formed integral with said body portion, and means of communication between the eye and bore, substantially as described.

2. A needle comprising a main body portion, formed with an eye, a longitudinal bore, and side grooves connecting said eye and bore, substantially as described.

3. A needle comprising a main body portion, formed with an eye, a longitudinal bore, grooves connecting said eye with said bore, and open-ended slots extending throughout the length of said bore and communicating with said grooves, substantially as described.

4. A needle comprising a main body portion, formed with an eye, a longitudinal bore and grooves connecting said eye and bore, and longitudinal outwardlytapering openended slots formed in the Walls of the needle along the length of said bore, substantially as described. 7

5. A needle comprising a main body portion, formed with an eye, a longitudinal bore, means of communication between said eye and bore, and longitudinal open-ended slots extending along the length of said bore, substantially as described.

6. A needle comprising a main body portion, formed with an eye, a longitudinal bore, a groove communicating between said eye and bore, and a longitudinal slot communicating with said groove and extending along the length of said bore,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ALLEN NELSON.

Witnesses:

B. H. TODD, A. MAY. 

